據悉

It Is Understood That

Level 6Sounds Like geoi3 sik1

據悉 (geoi3 sik1) is a high-level formal marker used in news and official reports to introduce information obtained from reliable but unnamed sources. It is the standard way to say 'It is understood that...', 'Reportedly', or 'According to sources' in a professional context.

How It Works

據悉 (geoi3 sik1) functions as a sentence-initial adverbial. It sets the tone for the entire statement, signaling that the following information comes from a credible source, even if that source isn't explicitly named.

1. Usage and Register:
This pattern belongs to the syu1 min6 jyu5 (書面語 - written language) register. You will hear it on RTHK (香港電台 hoeng1 gong2 din6 toi4) news or read it in publications like Ming Pao (明報 ming4 bou3). It is not used in daily conversation. In casual speech, you would use 據講 (geoi3 gong2), 聽講 (teng1 gong2), or 聽聞 (teng1 man4 - to have heard / reportedly). Because this is a formal term, the rest of the sentence should shift to Standard Written Chinese, avoiding colloquial particles like 嘅 (ge3) or 咗 (zo2).

2. Grammatical Structure and Fixed Compound:
It usually appears at the very beginning of a sentence or clause, often followed by a comma in writing:

  • 據悉，[Clause]

Crucially, 據悉 is a fixed compound and cannot be split. You cannot insert a source into the middle of it. If you want to name a specific source, you must use a different structure like 據 [Source] 報導 (geoi3 ... bou3 dou6).

3. Nuance of '悉' (sik1):
In this context, 悉 means 'to learn of' or 'to be informed.' It indicates that the information was learned from a source or data (second-hand knowledge), often implying an insider or reliable source. This term is a direct crossover from Standard Written Chinese, which explains its high level of formality. A similar term is 據報 (geoi3 bou3), which can mean 'according to reports' (often citing media) or 'upon receiving a report' (e.g., 警方據報 ging2 fong1 geoi3 bou3 - 'The police, upon receiving a report...').

Examples (4)

  1. 據悉，警方正調查事件的起因。

    It is understood that the police are currently investigating the cause of the incident.

    Word by Word: According-to-learned, police-force [progressive] investigate incident [possessive] cause.

    This is a classic news sentence. 據悉 (geoi3 sik1) introduces the report, and 正 (zing3) acts as the formal equivalent of 緊 (gan2) to indicate the action is currently happening.

  2. 據悉，政府將於下月公佈新一輪紓困措施。

    It is understood that the government will announce a new round of relief measures next month.

    Word by Word: According-to-learned, government will at next-month announce new one round relief measures.

    Here, 據悉 is used to report on upcoming government policy, a very common context for this pattern.

  3. 據悉，該名疑犯已被警方拘捕。

    It is understood that the suspect has already been arrested by the police.

    Word by Word: According-to-learned, that [classifier] suspect already by police arrest.

    In legal reporting, 據悉 is used to confirm status updates like arrests. Note the use of 被 (bei6) as the formal equivalent of 畀 (bei2) for the passive voice.

  4. 據悉，兩間公司已達成初步協議。

    It is understood that the two companies have reached a preliminary agreement.

    Word by Word: According-to-learned, two [classifier] company already reach preliminary agreement.

    This demonstrates the use of 據悉 in business journalism to report on negotiations.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 據悉 in casual conversation.

    據悉聽日會落雨。
    聽講聽日會落雨。

    Using 據悉 (geoi3 sik1) to talk about the weather with a friend sounds overly stiff and robotic, like a news anchor. Use 聽講 (teng1 gong2) or 據講 (geoi3 gong2) instead.

  • Using 據悉 redundantly with other reporting phrases.

    據悉，根據報導，意外有三人受傷。
    據報，意外有三人受傷。

    據悉 (geoi3 sik1) implies the speaker or outlet learned the info themselves. If you are citing another specific report, use 據報 (geoi3 bou3 - 'according to reports') or 根據報導 (gan1 geoi3 bou3 dou6). Combining them in the same sentence is redundant.

  • Treating 據悉 as a splittable phrase to insert a specific source.

    據明報悉，該公司將會結業。
    據明報報導，該公司將會結業。

    據悉 (geoi3 sik1) is a fixed compound meaning 'it is understood that' and cannot be separated. If you want to explicitly state 'according to [Source]', use 據 [Source] 報導 (geoi3 [Source] bou3 dou6 - according to [Source]'s report).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

據悉Level 6It Is Understood That

Learn This First

據悉 (geoi3 sik1) is a high-level formal expression used in news reporting. It functions as a sentence opener meaning 'it is understood that' or 'according to reports'. To understand it, learners should be familiar with the formal written register of Cantonese and the specific vocabulary used in journalism to attribute information without naming a specific source.

Words in This Pattern

据悉